Power Plant

The idea began in the summer of 1974. Because of the increasing demand for electricity and limited availability of wholesale power, the Board of Municipal Utilities directed its immediate attention toward long range power supply planning. The results of engineering and economic studies undertaken by Phelps, Hogland and Phillips Engineering Company indicated that construction of a coal-fired steam-electric station of a size sufficient to meet the Board's projected long-term electric requirements would result in the lowest cost power supply, providing that surplus power could be sold until full utilization was needed.

On September 21, 1977 the City of Sikeston authorized Phelps, Hogland and Phillips to proceed on final engineering for the project. The idea had become a reality. The Sikeston Power Station Project was a one-unit , 235 megawatt coal-fired steam electric generating station located approximately one mile west of the center of Sikeston on a 622 acre site. Phelps, Hogland and Phillips was the Project Manager and Burns & McDonnell Engineering performed the duties of design engineering, preparation of plans and specifications, contract analysis and evaluation and other related services. The total principal amount of bonds that were sold was $240,000,000.00. The first issue was closed in March, 1978 for $90,000,000.00 and the second issue for $150,000,000.00 was closed in February, 1979. Groundbreaking for the project took place on March 25, 1978. Initial energy was produced on June 30, 1981 and commercial operation was achieved on August 27, 1981.

Power generated by the Station's steam turbine flows to a nearby substation owned by the Southwest Power administration. From there it flows into the main power grid that serves the entire Midwest. Sikeston 's power needs are also met by one of the circuits from the SWPA substation and through five BMU substations around the city.

Coal for the Sikeston Power Station is furnished by the Western Fuels Association, a non-profit corporation formed by municipal and cooperative-owned electric utilities for the purpose of acquiring and developing fuel resources for its members. A 115-car Burlington Northern-Sante Fe coal train arrives at the Sikeston Power Station twice weekly with coal from a mine in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. The plant burns more than a million tons of Powder River Basin coal per year.

The power needs of the city of Sikeston account for roughly one third of the generating capacity of the 235 megawatt Sikeston Power Station. In accordance with the initial plan for the facility, BMU has ongoing contracts with the Missouri cities of Carthage, Columbia, Fulton, and West Plains to purchase excess power generated above the demand of the city of Sikeston.